Loss of Medicaid threatens Dental health in Rhode Island

Patients in Rhode Island who use Medicaid coverage for their dental care needs may face huge problems accessing dental treatment soon. Clinics in the state  are beginning to report that financial worries may have to force them to refuse dental treatment to Medicaid patients.

Law makers in Rhode Island are considering a proposed agreement with the US government to place a cap on Medicaid spending, to be continued over 5 years. The federal government, according to the agreement, will ease some regulations on current Medicaid coverage. Under the existing Medicaid program, dental treatment for adults is considered optional. There is reason therefore to believe, that this cover for adults will be the first to land on the chopping block. Across the state's dental clinics that treat Medicaid patients, the financial meltdown is showing its effects in the form of a major financial crisis in Rhode Island. This means that dental treatments which are often seen as optional or non essential treatments, may find themselves removed from Medicaid cover.

The Medicaid program offers health cover for poor, senior citizens and the disabled. It is financed by the government, and currently 180,000 people in Rhode Island are eligible for dental treatment cover through the program. These are the people who tend to suffer the most from dental problems that are age, as well as care related. Senior citizens for instance may suffer an increased incidence of dental caries, gum disease, and ill fitting dentures can lead to difficulties in eating and chewing leading to malnutrition. These problems are easily treatable with the help of a dentist, but in the absence of Medicaid dental cover, many senior citizens in Rhode Island face the prospect of a lack of adequate dental treatment.

Poor people may put off having timely dental treatment because of failure to afford such treatment, as staff at Medicaid dental clinics will testify.  Dentistry for these patients is all about treating badly decayed teeth, severe gum disease and other health problems. These are not people who would visit a dentist for a professional cleaning of their teeth, bleaching or dental braces. In most cases, their problems are the result of a life time of neglect of dental care. The disabled who are also eligible for Medicaid have their own challenges in maintaining oral hygiene. They may find it harder to handle a toothbrush or a piece of dental floss, and consequently, may not be able to maintain proper oral hygiene. The physically challenged may also need special devices and dental aids to help them brush and floss regularly.  Besides, there may be other side effects of their illness or disability, including dry mouth or xerostomia which can be a result of the medications that they take. Such conditions can increase the risk of dental caries in such patients.

If the state eliminates Medicaid coverage for dental treatment for adults, clinics around the state say they will have no choice but to begin taking in more paying clients who can help generate revenues. That means the thousands of patients who are already disadvantaged because of their health, age or economic status will lose access to the only source of dental cover they have.